Defunctland -- Australia's Wonderland

[cdubbs727]

If you want some unexpected Kings Island deja vu, the latest Defunctland episode is really fantastic. I didn't know about Australia's Wonderland at all, much less its history as a Taft Park. So I was surprised to see this episode open with a look at the construction of Kings Island. I was also unaware The Beast had a sister before it had a son, and that The Beastie was also present at another park (the entrance gates to The Beastie at AW is very similar from what I remember growing up). Also, The Zodiac! 

Defunctland always kills it, but this one is particularly special. 
 

 

[super7]

I believe this park was built in 85 after KECO took control.  It was a great example of how poorly KECO did things compared to Taft .  

Australia’s Wonderland  was really poorly built compared to the other Taft parks.  The layout was random and unimpressive.   Hanna Barbera Lsnd was especially poorly done compared to the other parks. 

That park did get two of Kings Islands best flat rides.  Zodiac (the best ever) and Bayern Kurve rethemed as Wizards Fury. 

The Bush Beast was a duplicate of Grizzly/Wilde Beast

Years before the park was closed and destroyed, they closed HB Land entirely and The Beastie was snbo.   

[sam2cpa]

http://www.wonderlandhistory.net/content/the_zodiac

http://www.wonderlandhistory.net/content/wizards_fury

 

Pictures of two previous Kings Island rides at Wonderland can be found above.  

 

 

[Joshua]

I love Defunctland and Theme Park History. Could you imagine if there were a channel of similar quality dedicated purely to Kings Island and/or Cedar Fair parks?